Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Impact of early feeding on childhood eczema: development after nutritional intervention compared with the natural course - the GINIplus study up to the age of 6 years.
Nutritional intervention with hydrolysed infant formulas has been shown efficacious in preventing eczema in children predisposed to allergy. However, this preventive effect has never been related to the natural course of eczema in children with or without a family history of allergy. The aim of this study therefore was to compare the course of eczema in predisposed children after nutritional intervention to the natural course of eczema. ⋯ Although direct comparability is somewhat restricted, the data demonstrate that early intervention with hydrolysed infant formulas can substantially compensate up until the age of 6 years for an enhanced risk of childhood eczema due to familial predisposition to allergy.
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Children exposed to tobacco smoke early in life have a higher risk of wheeze. Individual susceptibility may depend on genetic factors. ⋯ Our results suggest that the risk of early childhood wheeze associated with early maternal smoking may be modified by TNF and GSTP1 polymorphisms.
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Hypersensitivity reactions to iodinated radio contrast media (RCM) are either immediate-type (IT) or delayed reactions (DT). In IT, the pathomechanism is unclear. In DT, delayed positive patch (PT) and intradermal tests (IDT) and RCM-specific T cells suggest a T cell-mediated mechanism. In both, the role of iodine has not been clarified; however, patients are often labelled as 'iodine allergic'. Occasionally, positive skin tests to iodine-containing drugs are observed. ⋯ We have previously demonstrated in patients with iodine mumps that an oral challenge with LS is a valid means to elicit hypersensitivity reactions to iodine. In 19 patients, we showed that iodine is rarely the eliciting agent in hypersensitivity reactions to RCM. Only one patient with a late urticaria to an RCM with a late urticaria to LS and two patients with DT and broad sensitization to all RCM tested reacted to LS with an exanthema. In most cases, more likely the RCM molecules and not iodine are the eliciting compounds.
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Practice Guideline
BSACI guidelines for the investigation of suspected anaphylaxis during general anaesthesia.
Investigation of anaphylaxis during general anaesthesia requires an accurate record of events including information on timing of drug administration provided by the anaesthetist, as well as timed acute tryptase measurements. Referrals should be made to a centre with the experience and ability to investigate reactions to a range of drug classes/substances including neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) intravenous (i.v.) anaesthetics, antibiotics, opioid analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), local anaesthetics, colloids, latex and other agents. About a third of cases are due to allergy to NMBAs. ⋯ The MHRA should be notified. Investigation of anaphylaxis during general anaesthesia should be focussed in major allergy centres with a high throughput of cases and with experience and ability as described above. We suggest this focus since there is a distinct lack of validated data for testing, thus requiring experience in interpreting tests and because of the serious consequences of diagnostic error.
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The primary end-point in the management of asthma is to obtain optimal control. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between the markers of airway inflammation (sputum eosinophilia and exhaled nitric oxide), bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and asthma control. ⋯ In a broad spectrum of asthmatics encountered in clinical practice, sputum eosinophilia and methacholine bronchial hyperresponsiveness, but not FE(NO), are associated with uncontrolled asthma.